Best Picture Winners Part 8 (of 87): Mutiny on the Bounty

Title: Mutiny on the Bounty

Year: 1935

Starring: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone

Director: Frank Lloyd

Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins

Is It Any Good?: It’s pretty good. It’s overly long and that hurts it. And while 132 mins is bloated it doesn’t lag all that much. Laughton chews up every scene he’s given, and if you saw his Oscar turn as Henry the VIII you can see some of that in here. His turn here as Captain Bligh is so iconic that it was later parodied by Bugs Bunny in the short “Buccaneer Bunny”. Moving on from the 1933 Best Actor and onto 1934’s winner Clark Gable who is sincere in his intent as Mr. Fletcher Christian is here both likeable, and admirable even though in reality he’s the bad guy.

Memorable Quote: Byam: “Captain Bligh, you’ve told your story of mutiny on the Bounty, how man plotted against you, seized your ship, cast you adrift in an open nothing, two British ships lost. But there’s another story, Captain Bligh, of ten coconuts and two cheeses. A story of a man who robbed his seamen, cursed them, flogged them, not to punish but to break their spirit. A story of greed and tyranny, and of anger against it, of what it cost.

Competition: This year featured tons of classic stuff. From two more stellar Laughton performances in both Les Miserables as Javert and as Marmaduke Ruggles in Ruggles of Red Gap. Along side these is the seminal Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film Top Hat featuring one of the best song and dance numbers in cinema history with it’s Cheek to Cheek gig which I’ve included. Go on click it and try not dancing with your cat! And when you’re done go watch Top Hat in it’s entirety. Lastly we have The Lives of a Bengal Lancer which feature Mutiny’s Franchot Tone.

Next we have 1936, and a showbiz film with a unique twist. We know we’ll see you then so don’t be shy go ahead and subscribe! If you don’t Captain Bligh will cut your rations, and we don’t want that do we!